It’s one thing to use hate to disparage another person, or to push your own pedantic and shallow view of the world, but it’s another thing entirely to exploit hate in order to make someone feel sorry for you.
The most infamous example of this in recent times comes to us from Chicago, and Empire actor Jussie Smollett. Smollett, believing that sympathy could somehow net him a bigger paycheck, paid two on-set extras from Empire to commit a phony hate crime against him, utilizing both racist and homophobic slurs in the process.
At first, Chicago was appalled, and ran to the actor’s side. But, after only a cursory few hours of investigation by the Chicago police department, Smollett’s story fell apart. It was soon apparent that the entire incident was set up by the television star in order to gain notoriety, thus allowing Smollett to renegotiate his contract based on his new, more prolific place in modern society.
The Smollett case is still ongoing, thanks to the bizarre dismissal of the case and appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the reasons for the anti-climactic end.
But that hasn’t stopped others from attempting similar disingenuous acts for attention…not by a long shot.
A former NFL player has been arrested in Georgia for vandalizing his own business with racist slurs and the phrase “MAGA,” to make it appear as if Trump supporters and racists attacked him.
Former Washington Redskins tackle Edawn Coughman, 31, was arrested in Gwinnett County, Georgia, on September 11 after someone reported the vandalism of his small restaurant.
The former footballer hand’t fully thought his plan through:
When police arrived, they observed Coughman driving away from the place in a black Chevy Silverado. When they pulled him over, officers discovered a number of flatscreen TVs still on brackets in the truck’s bed. The TVs appeared to have been ripped from the walls of the restaurant.
Worse still, the spray paint used in the alleged hate crime was found in Coughman’s truck, further illuminating the hoax for investigators.
